1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods, systems, and apparatus for isolating and separating an analyte of interest (e.g., a target nucleic acid) from other components of a sample.
2. Background of the Invention
All documents referred to herein, or the indicated portions, are hereby incorporated by reference herein. No document, however, is admitted to be prior art to the claimed subject matter.
Nucleic acid test (NAT) procedures, and other forms of analyte detection, often require a sample preparation procedure for isolating and separating an analyte from other components of a sample having the potential to interfere with a test protocol. Many of these sample preparation procedures require immobilizing analyte on magnetically-responsive particles, which are then drawn out of suspension upon exposure to a magnetic force. The immobilization may be specific or non-specific for the analyte of interest. Once the magnetically-responsive particles are isolated within a receptacle, the non-isolated components of the sample may be aspirated and the magnetically-responsive particles resuspended in a fluid medium. This process can then be repeated one or more times to further purify the sample.
It is desirable, therefore, to have a compact, automated device for performing the isolation, aspiration and re-suspension steps of a sample preparation procedure in an analyzer, including structure for removing protective tips used in the aspiration step.